Charlie Buffinton
Encyclopedia
Charles G. Buffinton, born Buffington (June 14, 1861 - September 23, 1907), was an American
right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
from 1882
to 1892
. One of the workhorse pitchers of the 1880s, he won
20 games seven times and his 1700 career strikeout
s are the ninth-highest total of the 19th century.
Born in Fall River, Massachusetts
, Buffinton – mainly known for his brilliant sinker
ball – began his career with the Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters
. He played in the days of 2- or 3-man pitching staffs and was a big part of many of his teams' successes. From 1883 to 1885 he was one of Boston's two principal pitchers along with Jim Whitney
; together they picked up 62 of Boston's 63 wins in 1883
when the Beaneaters took the pennant. Buffinton's best season came right after that, though, when he went 48-16 with a 2.15 ERA
in 67 starts in 1884
. During that season, he struck out 17 batters in one game, won 13 straight games, and ended the year with 417 strikeouts, becoming one of seven pitchers that season to break the previous record of 361. Typical of the era, he completed
63 of his starts, with 8 being shutout
s. Such win totals were not completely extraordinary at the time, as Buffinton's only 30-win season ranked third in the major leagues that year as Charles Radbourn
set a record with 60 wins.
After a poor 1886 season which saw him drop to 7-10 in more limited play due to arm trouble, his contract was sold to the Philadelphia Quakers in 1887. He pitched two one-hitters in a row for the team at one point and became the mainstay of their staff during his three years there, winning over 20 games in each. He jumped to the Philadelphia Athletics of the Players' League in 1890, posting a 19-15 record and managing
the team for most of the year, before shifting to the American Association
's Boston Reds in 1891. In Boston, he enjoyed a 29-9 year for the league champions - his last 20-win campaign. After a 4-8 record with the Baltimore Orioles
in 1892, he retired rather than accept a midseason pay cut and went into business as an investor in coal and cotton. In 1893 the pitching distance in baseball was increased from 50 feet to 60 feet 6 inches, effectively ending his chances of returning.
In an 11-year career, Buffinton had a record of 233-152 with a 2.96 ERA in 414 games (396 starts). He pitched 351 complete games, including 30 shutouts, struck out 1700 and allowed 1120 earned run
s in 3404 innings pitched. At the time of his retirement he ranked between seventh and tenth in virtually every career pitching category, although due to the short history of the major leagues all of those ahead of him were his contemporaries. As the 1890s progressed he quickly dropped further down the lists.
During his career, he also played as an outfielder
for 137 games, and batted
a respectable .245 for his career.
Buffinton died in Fall River, Massachusetts at the age of 46 from heart disease
. He was laid to rest at the Oak Grove Cemetery
in Fall River.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from 1882
1882 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Chicago def. Providence 5 games to 4*American Association: Cincinnati Red Stockings*League Alliance: New York MetropolitansInterleague*Chicago vs. Cincinnati tie 1 game each*Chicago def...
to 1892
1892 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Beaneaters defeated Cleveland Spiders, 5 games to 0 - First half of season :-Second half of season:-Overall record:-Events:...
. One of the workhorse pitchers of the 1880s, he won
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
20 games seven times and his 1700 career strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s are the ninth-highest total of the 19th century.
Born in Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, Buffinton – mainly known for his brilliant sinker
Sinker (baseball)
In baseball, a sinker , is a type of fastball pitch which has significant downward and horizontal movement. The sinker is known for inducing a lot of ground balls...
ball – began his career with the Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. He played in the days of 2- or 3-man pitching staffs and was a big part of many of his teams' successes. From 1883 to 1885 he was one of Boston's two principal pitchers along with Jim Whitney
Jim Whitney
James Evans "Grasshopper Jim" Whitney was a former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of ten seasons with the Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters, Kansas City Cowboys, Washington Nationals, Indianapolis Hoosiers and Philadelphia Athletics . He was the National League...
; together they picked up 62 of Boston's 63 wins in 1883
1883 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Beaneaters*American Association: Philadelphia Athletics*Inter-State League: Brooklyn Atlantics*Northwestern League: Toledo Blue StockingsInter-league playoff: Philadelphia declined to play Boston...
when the Beaneaters took the pennant. Buffinton's best season came right after that, though, when he went 48-16 with a 2.15 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 67 starts in 1884
1884 in baseball
-Champions:*First World's Championship Series: Providence Grays over New York Metropolitans *National League: Providence Grays*American Association: New York Metropolitans*Union Association: St...
. During that season, he struck out 17 batters in one game, won 13 straight games, and ended the year with 417 strikeouts, becoming one of seven pitchers that season to break the previous record of 361. Typical of the era, he completed
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
63 of his starts, with 8 being shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s. Such win totals were not completely extraordinary at the time, as Buffinton's only 30-win season ranked third in the major leagues that year as Charles Radbourn
Charles Radbourn
Charles Gardner Radbourn , nicknamed "Old Hoss", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the Buffalo Bisons , Providence Grays , Boston Beaneaters , Boston Reds , and Cincinnati Reds...
set a record with 60 wins.
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
the team for most of the year, before shifting to the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
's Boston Reds in 1891. In Boston, he enjoyed a 29-9 year for the league champions - his last 20-win campaign. After a 4-8 record with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
in 1892, he retired rather than accept a midseason pay cut and went into business as an investor in coal and cotton. In 1893 the pitching distance in baseball was increased from 50 feet to 60 feet 6 inches, effectively ending his chances of returning.
In an 11-year career, Buffinton had a record of 233-152 with a 2.96 ERA in 414 games (396 starts). He pitched 351 complete games, including 30 shutouts, struck out 1700 and allowed 1120 earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s in 3404 innings pitched. At the time of his retirement he ranked between seventh and tenth in virtually every career pitching category, although due to the short history of the major leagues all of those ahead of him were his contemporaries. As the 1890s progressed he quickly dropped further down the lists.
During his career, he also played as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for 137 games, and batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
a respectable .245 for his career.
Buffinton died in Fall River, Massachusetts at the age of 46 from heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
. He was laid to rest at the Oak Grove Cemetery
Oak Grove Cemetery (Fall River, Massachusetts)
Oak Grove Cemetery is a historic cemetery at 765 Prospect Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.The cemetery was built in 1855 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.-Notable burials:...
in Fall River.
External links
- BaseballAlmanac.com
- FindAGrave.com - photos of grave site